LINDEN – The Marengo County Board of Education may soon draft a policy that would help police various forms of harassment among students. Marengo County Schools Superintendent Luke Hallmark announced Thursday to the board of education his intention to draft such a policy.

…”I’ve got a model that I’ve developed and put together,” Hallmark said. “I just want to run it by the board attorney.”

Hallmark indicated his decision to push for such a policy is not a reflection of any incidents in Marengo County Schools, rather it comes as a pre-emptive strike.

“I think it is something all school systems need to have in place,” Hallmark said.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SLPC) have weighed in on this:

“Most Alabama students attend schools that lack anti-harassment protection for (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students,” Sam Wolfe, SPLC staff attorney, wrote in an Oct. 20 article. “Because the Model Policy only prohibits bullying based on characteristics of race, sex, religion, national origin, and disability, LGBT students are denied protection afforded to other students and are in special danger. We ask the (Alabama State Department of Education) to strengthen the Model Policy by specifying anti-harassment protection for students based on actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. All students should feel safe at school, and an inclusive policy that addresses anti-LGBT bullying will help achieve that goal.”

RALEIGH – The regulatory body for North Carolina’s lawyers gave final approval to language designed to discourage attorneys from having personal bias against representing gays and transgender people.

The North Carolina State Bar Council voted 35-20 Friday in favor of changes to the preamble of their rules of professional conduct.

Some attorneys and interest groups were concerned because the proposal contained “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in a list of eight characteristics that shouldn’t lead to biased conduct. They said that could prevent lawyers from declining to take cases on moral grounds.

Council member Mark Merritt said lawyers can still withdraw from a case if they believe they are unable to defend someone vigorously.

So this policy eliminates anti-LGBT discrimination every way except functionally?

Chicago’s Jewish community buzzed Saturday with speculation, befuddlement and resignation to the news that two of its religious institutions were targeted in a foiled terrorist plot.

On the city’s North Side, the rabbi at Emmanuel Congregation said at Saturday morning services that he was told a smaller congregation that uses their synagogue was one of the targets. But neither he nor the other congregation’s rabbi had been contacted by authorities.

Rabbi Michael Zedek said he was told by a Jewish leader “of considerable consequence in Chicago” that the smaller Or Chadash congregation was one of the targets.

Or Chadash has about 100 members, mainly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Jews and their families. It has rented space at Emmanuel Congregation for about seven years, and before that held services in a Unitarian church on the city’s North Side.

A Brazilian court ruled this week that McDonald’s must pay a former franchise manager ,500 because he gained 65 pounds while working there for a dozen years.

The 32-year-old man said he felt forced to sample the food each day to ensure quality standards remained high, because McDonald’s hired “mystery clients” to randomly visit restaurants and report on the food, service and cleanliness.

The man also said the company offered free lunches to employees, adding to his caloric intake while on the job.